SLT-Mobitel still awaiting action from other stakeholders to get visa system online

• Two-weeks on since Supreme Court order for authorities to revert to abandon outsourced visa processing arrangement 
• SLT-Mobitel Chairman writes twice to Department of Immigration and Emigration Controller General on urgent requirements to restore the ETA Front-End System within 24 hours

SLT-Mobitel is still awaiting speedy action from several stakeholders to get the visa system online, two weeks on since the Supreme Court ordered authorities to abandon the outsourced arrangement and revert to the previous status quo.

SLT-Mobitel Chairman A.K.D.D.D. Arandara on Tuesday wrote to the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) Controller General I.S.H.J. Ilukpitiya notifying the urgency in support. The latest communication was a follow up to the first letter sent on 7 August.

Chairman said the Company has already restored the Mobitel ETA Front-End System in its servers. However, to make the system online, the DIE is required to instruct relevant parties to carry out following minimum tasks with immediate effect:

1. Informatics Ltd., to provide the same backend services in operation as at 16 April 2024

2. The same IPG services given by Sampath Bank PLC and Nations Trust Bank PLC as at 16 April 2024

3. The same network configuration including reestablishment of domain “eta.gov.lk” to our servers as existed as at 16 April 2024

4. Any other facilities available as at 16 April 2024

Arandara reiterated DIE in the second letter that once the above facilities are provided, Mobitel will restore the ETA Front-End System within 24 hours.

“Further, we wish to note that once the System is restored, our contact centre would be ready

to answer queries raised pertaining to the period from the date of restoration,” SLT-Mobitel Chairman assured in his letter which has been copied to Attorney General Saman Ekanayake- Secretary to the President, Ministry of Public Security Secretary P.V. Gunathilaka, Informatics Ltd. Group Managing Director Hiran Wickramasinghe, and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman.

The apparent delay has unsettled travel and tourism industry whilst causing confusion among prospective visitors from abroad. 

Sri Lanka shifted to an outsourced visa processing arrangement from 17 April following a controversial awarding of a contract to a consortium comprising GBS Technology Services and IVS Global-FZCO, IFZA Dubai Digital Park, and VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd., Dubai.

However, following eight fundamental rights, the Supreme Court on 2 August ordered authorities to revert to the previous visa processing arrangement and suspend the service and convenience fees imposed under the outsourced arrangement, the legality and rationality of which were challenged by multiple stakeholders. 

Maintaining the status quo as it existed before the implementation of the Cabinet decision and preventing the charging of any service fees or convenience fees until the final hearing and determination of the applications were among several interim orders sought via litigation.

The petitions cited 28 respondents including Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, 17 other Cabinet Ministers, Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, as well as the parties involved in the outsourced visa processing GBS Technology Services and IVS Global-FZCO, IFZA Dubai Digital Park, and VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd., Dubai.

The unprecedented action was following the new visa process being viewed a violation of the law and the rules of natural justice, as well as being non-transparent and non-consultative sans competitive bidding.

Tourist arrivals in the first 11 days of August were 73,373 whilst year to date the figure is 1.27 million.